The present invention relates generally to instant messaging applications for mobile devices and, more particularly, to a method and system for reducing latency in media instant messaging applications.
The introduction of Third Generation (3G) networks has led to increased consumer demand for mobile data services. One of the services in greatest demand by mobile users is instant messaging (IM). IM is a form of real-time communication between two or more people. IM requires a client application on the mobile device that can communicate with an instant messaging server. Originally, instant messaging applications were limited to text messaging, but many instant messaging applications may now provide support for audio and/or video messages.
In most instant messaging applications, the instant message is created by a sender and subsequently sent when the message is complete. For voice instant messages, for example, the sender typically holds a record button or record key and records a voice instant message. When the button or key is released, recording stops and the voice instant message is sent to the instant messaging server. Upon receipt, the instant messaging server notifies the recipient, and establishes a traffic channel to deliver the voice instant message to the recipient. The delay between the time that the voice instant message is sent and the time that it is delivered to the recipient is referred to herein as the message latency. One of the primary contributors to message latency is the time required to set up a traffic channel. Due to consumer expectations, message delays greater than 10 seconds may not be tolerable. Therefore, there is a need to reduce message latency, particularly for media instant messaging.